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Creature #1057 - Plectra Amagnae
This otherwise plain egg is covered in iridescent spots.
Spoiler
Though born small enough, plectra amagnae grow at alarming speeds, eating everything they see. They take about a year before they start to grow in their adult plumage, so they are easily mistaken for other amagnae chicks when small. Their temperaments are not as testy until then as well; they only become protective of their plumage once their beautiful blue spots appear. This is because plectra amagnae have a strict pecking order determined by beauty. The most dazzling adults get their choice of mate, food, and roost, while drabber individuals have to make do with what little the others leave behind. Hatchlings, though, are adored by all adults and free of the burden of constant grooming, at least until they're kicked out of the hatchling creche.
(m/f)
Spoiler
Plectra amagnae are so well-known for their obsession over their own feathers and frills that they appear often in fairy tales for children meant to teach lessons against vanity. Magi who keep these birds usually consider such tales amusing but a bit unfair, as these are among the most social of amagnae and have good reason to constantly tend to their appearance. Their gleaming coats are covered in beautiful blue spots that magi suspect are even brighter to the birds' ultraviolet-sensitive eyes. However, for all their visual appeal, the spots readily show any blemish or unwanted spec, which the other birds are quick to spot and scrutinize. While humans may not care that a plectra amagnae looks marginally less stunning because of a misaligned feather, the other amagnae take any indication of a lapse in grooming as a sign of illness and will castigate members of their flock for an untidy appearance. Many animals judge each other by appearance, though why these amagnae have developed such an extreme response to grooming standards is unclear. Even the fine ladies of Synara, famed for their fastidious attention to style, see these amagnae as excessive, for while they love to wear the birds' feathers in their hats, they are more than content to take the feathers the birds discard for minute imperfections.
Spoiler
One of the proudest of creatures, plectra amagnae spend most of their time grooming their spectacular feathers and frills. They will occasionally mingle with other amagnae at feeding time, but one must take care not to mistake them for the other birds. They are spectacularly feisty creatures, even for amagnae, and though not as dangerous as other breeds, plectra amagnae will not hesitate to charge straight for the eyes of anything that displeases them. Their beaks are cruelly sharp, as are their claws, so the threat is not an empty one. For this reason, most creatures give them a wide berth. Despite appearances, they are not particularly wrathful nor skittish; rather, they are concerned about keeping their feathers and webbed frills in peak condition. Even a speck of dust on their plumage will damage their standing among the other plectra amagnae, hence the overreaction to anything that threatens to brush against them. Naturally, this makes most everyone move very slowly and carefully when around plectra amagnae, so as not to enrage them.
Description: PKGriffin
